Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 1 - 2016 i ASIAN Geographic

Primates – which consist of monkeys, apes and more – have long bewildered our imaginations with their cheekiness, antics, similarities and human-like behaviour. Monkeys and apes are both primates, with the main difference being that monkeys have tails while apes do not. Today, there are about 260 known living species of monkeys and six types of apes in the world. This series of photos capture the simian race at their most human and picturesque, from travelling to sleeping to swimming and even group hugging. Primates Late 19th cent.: from Latin primas, primat- ‘of the first rank’ n. a mammal of an order that includes the lemurs, bushbabies, tarsiers, marmosets, monkeys, apes and humans. They are distinguished by having hands, hand-like feet and forward-facing eyes and are typically agile tree-dwellers CS…

When the boundaries between art and photography are blurred and reality and imagination mixed, the results are seen in the paintings of Adrian Ho, a Malaysian artist who rose to fame at the Singapore Biennale 2013 with his two paintings Fruits of Life and Full Production. Speaking from his home studio and art gallery in Papar, Sabah, the painter’s background of growing up in Borneo has no doubt influenced his artworks. In this part of East Malaysia, scenes of tropical rainforests, palm oil plantations, waterfalls, rivers, paddy fields, water buffaloes and wooden village houses surround him day and night. “I am definitely influenced by my surroundings, with its kampung houses and long boat rides,” he says. Born in 1967 in a town called Penampang, the native Sabahan was actually trained…

“Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved.” ” – JANE GOODALL We often associate the word “monkey” with a mischievous demeanour and aggressive behaviour, but few know about the side of monkeys which is innately shy and naturally graceful. These are even harder to see if these monkeys happen to be endangered or live in remote forests. Asian colobines, or leaf-eating primates, are an example. Asian colobines are vegetarians who own a large ruminant stomach like that of a grazing cow, allowing them to digest huge amounts of plant material. Although loosely called the leaf-eaters, they tuck into a feast of fruits whenever they are in season. Asian colobines are a diverse group with at…

There are crossroads many in Asia – places where journeys intersect, cultures mingle, and languages combine. There are also natural crossroads; where Asia meets the other continents, a complex interchange of living species that is constantly occurring. In the far southeast, the Asian ecosystem meets Australia in a region of islands known to biogeographers as Wallacea. Wallacea is named after the pioneering ecologist and geographer Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), one of the titans of 19th-century British science. His observations of zoological differences to the northwest and southeast of an imaginary line through the Indonesian island of Sulawesi were part of a body of work that, alongside Charles Darwin, reinvented biology through the lens of evolution. We can follow his career to his co-authoring of the theory of evolution with Charles…

1 INDEPENDENCE PALACE This historically-significant landmark is where on the morning of 30 April 1975, a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate – signifying the end of the Vietnam War. Today, visitors can enter the palace to see its ornate meeting rooms, 1970s architecture and helipad on the rooftop. 2 WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM One of the most popular museums in Vietnam attracting half a million tourists every year, this is a must-visit to understand the history of the country. The 4-storey building documents the cruelty inflicted during the Vietnam War of the 1970s, with plenty of pictures, real life accounts, film footages and military hardware on display. 3 BEN THANH MARKET Ho Chi Minh City’s most famous and most central market is a hive…

1 GALLE FORT WALLS Unmistakably historic and charming, the fabulous Galle Fort is no doubt the number one tourist attraction in Galle. First built in 1588 by the Portuguese then fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century, it looks out onto the Indian Ocean and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 2 GALLE LIGHTHOUSE Known as the Pointe de Galle Light, this onshore lighthouse is Sri Lanka’s oldest, dating back to 1848. Located at the southern end of the promontory within Galle Fort, it serves as a picturesque backdrop from Flag Rock and a walk around the lighthouse during sunset is a must. 3 DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH The beautiful Dutch Reformed Church, also known as Groote Kerk, is located within the old town and stands on the highest point…

Sri Lanka has three major languages – Sinhala, Tamil and English. Of the three, Sinhalese is the most widely spoken, and is used by 17 million out of 20 million of the country’s population. It is the statutory national language and is also known as Singhalese, Cingalese or Sinhala. The native name of the language is ››››› (Si m hala) and it comes from Sanskrit, literally meaning “lion-seizer”, “lion-killer” or “lion blood” as a reference to the founder of the Sinhala people, Prince Vijaya. The prince is believed to be a descendant of Sinhabahu (Lion Arms), the son of a Vanga Kingdom princess and a lion. Brought over from northern India during the 5th century BC and because of its isolation from other Indo-Aryan tongues of mainland India, Sinhalese developed…

Singapore may be a concrete jungle, but there are pockets in this island that will get you close to nature. After all, this city state is not known as the Garden City for no reason. Hotel Clover The Arts is situated along South Bridge Road, in the heart of Singapore’s ethnic enclave of Chinatown, with 44 rooms over six storeys that are decorated in the most elaborate of wall murals. Be swept away by the stunningly picturesque mountainscapes of Japan’s Mount Fuji, painted in the backdrop of blooming sakuras. The hues of blue and pink will provide a sense of calm and peace, ensuring a good night’s sleep. Or be surrounded by dashes of colour, with rooms decorated with the Birds of Paradise and sink into a restful night as…

INDIA BEAR MACAQUE Macaca arctoides Did you know? Male and female bear macaques bald with age SPAIN BARBARY MACAQUE Macaca sylvanus Did you know? Male instead of female Barbary macaques help to care, groom and play with their youngs The bear macaque, or stump-tailed macaque, is found in subtropical and tropical broadleaf evergreen forests. Their distribution range includes northeastern India and southern China onto the northwestern tip of West Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. They are also found in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and far eastern Bangladesh. Listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, bear macaque infants are born white in colour and darken with age. With thick, long, dark brown fur covering their bodies and short tails which measure less…

Lowland forests are increasingly converted for land development, particularly for palm oil plantations The proboscis monkey has received increasing attention in recent years. Indeed, it has become a flagship species for tourism activities throughout its range, particularly in popular areas like Sukau in Kinabatangan, Sabah in East Malaysia. Tourists are almost always guaranteed to be rewarded with the sight of these enigmatic animals, as they can be easily found along rivers on a slow boat cruise in the mornings and evenings. This is due to their preference for habitats along rivers and coastlines; and their social group structure, which consists of basic one-male, multi-female or all-male groups congregating along waterways. Borneo has lost 30% of its rainforests in the last 40 years, having a critical impact on the proboscis monkeys…

What is the IUCN Red List? The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is recognised as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. Introduced in 1964 and with headquarters in Switzerland, its goal is to identify particular species at risk of extinction and to provide information and analyses on its status, trends and threats – all this in order to spur action for the conservation of these species. Worst-faring countries in Asia Total number of animals on the Red List IUCN Red List Categories For more information, visit www.iucnredlist.org BANDED LEAF MONKEY (Presbytis femoralis femoralis) Distribution: Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia Interesting fact: Babies are born white in colour TONKIN SNUB-NOSED MONKEY (Rhinopithecus avunculus) Distribution: Northern Vietnam Interesting fact: They are…

A folktale of Thailand Once there was a hunter who was pursued by a tiger in the forest. A monkey with her young saw this and helped the hunter up a tree by pushing a vine down to him. The tiger waited for days but to no avail. Then the tiger told the hunter to push down the mother monkey so he could eat her and go off. The hunter did so. However, the monkey had the presence of mind to tell the tiger to bite her tail instead as that was where her heart was. As the tiger did so, the monkey quickly slipped off from the tiger’s jaws and ran up a tree. However, the hunter was evil and one day killed her babies and then the monkey…

During the high season, Gili T, which is approximately three kilometres long and two kilometres wide, welcomes up to 5,000 tourists every day It is almost high noon when we step off the fast boat from Bali into the pristine waters of Gili Trawangan, or Gili T for short. It is the largest of the three Gili islands off Lombok; the other two being Gili Meno and Gili Air. By my reckoning, the Gilis are to Lombok what Lombok is to Bali; a more rustic alternative. And so the tourists “flee” – from Bali to Lombok to the Gili islands – in search of quieter beaches, unpaved roads and more authentic “localness”. For Gili T, that local touch is embodied in the cidomo or horse-cart taxi. During the high season,…

It’s International Women’s Day on 8 March and Ace Adventure Expeditions will be sending two all-women’s team from Singapore to scale two of the world’s highest mountains, in an effort to help teenage girls in Singapore under the Project Pari. The Mount Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit trip will be held from 26 February to 10 March 2016, led by Vinnie Tan who embarked on the same trip in 2014 and was also an active volunteer with Raleigh Singapore. Standing at 5,895 metres, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and is a dormant volcanic mountain with three volcanic cones. The Everest Base Camp expedition will run from 13–30 March 2016 and will be led by Joanne Soo, the founder of Ace Adventure and who was also part of Singapore’s first…

I was born in a village in the central highlands of Vietnam, in a place known as Dak Hlo that is surrounded by sugar cane fields. When I was 18 I moved to Ho Chi Minh City to study English Literature at the university, looking for a better future. That was the right decision and I never regretted moving to the most developed city in Vietnam, where I have stayed for 10 years and which I now consider my home. In the old days, Saigon was known as the Pearl of the Far East. After reunification in 1975, it was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Every time I travel to a new city, the feeling of missing Saigon always comes back to my mind like a woman who misses…

1 CONICAL HAT The conical hat is perhaps Vietnam’s most iconic trademark and cultural symbol – seen on most locals from street pedlars to food hawkers. Bring home this romantic adornment made from palm leaves or bamboo straw leafs split into thin strings. The hat, known as non la, has its origins in Vietnam’s rice paddy fields. 2 LACQUERWARE Traditional lacquerware is one of Vietnam’s most widely-produced handicrafts and an ancient art form. Made from resin of the son tree, traditional and luxury ones are laid with mother of pearl and sea shells inlay. Popular mass-produced bowls, vases and dish trays can easily be found in markets and souvenir stores. 3 AO DAI The ao dai, literally translated as long dress, is Vietnam’s national costume. There are different…

“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”– Jane Goodall I have a folder in my mailbox called “Feedback”, and since our last issue, the total number of mails I’ve received is one. It was a strongly-opinionated complaint about how we should not have anglicised Yip Man’s name to Ip Man. But to me, a seemingly negative reaction is better than no reaction at all. It is precisely our indifference and apathy that would leave us poor stewards of the world we live in. When we don’t care, we don’t do anything. In this wildlife issue, we highlight the plight of endangered animals in Asia – the handsome proboscis monkey in Borneo, the under-nourished horses of Gili Islands, the blue and white Bali mynahs of Indonesia. These animals are fast-disappearing…

Irrepressible, mischievous, resourceful yet eternally effervescent, the tale of the monkey is one that transcends continents, creeds, customs and centuries. In Asia, the monkey in his various guises has been venerated and deified perhaps even before 500 BC. Hanuman exemplifies justice, righteousness, bravery and loyalty INDIA Hanuman The Ramayana Monkey warrior, Hanuman, whose tale is told in the classical Hindu epic poem the Ramayana, is an avatar or incarnation of Shiva the Destroyer and is worshipped as a god in India. Known as a Varana, the Sanskrit term for a mythological forest dweller with simian characteristics, Hanuman exemplifies justice, righteousness, bravery and loyalty. Born of an apsara (celestial being) and the god of wind, his powers were evident even from childhood when he tried to lunge for the…

The tannin-stained Sekonyer River conceals countless fish, frogs and the occasional crocodile Travelling upriver against the relentless, mocha-coloured current of Central Kalimantan’s Sekonyer River, all eyes are on the towering tapestry of rainforest trees above for a glimpse of Borneo’s most iconic wildlife species - the orangutan. Nearly 24 hours spent aboard the traditional wooden klotok riverboat and the only primates we’ve seen are a few proboscis monkeys cackling through the emerald green of the upper canopy. This is a poignant reminder that the population of wild orangutans here has fallen by more than 50% in the last decade. CAMP LEAKEY, A HOME FOR ORANGUTANS The riverbanks narrow as we travel further into Central Kalimantan’s Tanjung Puting National Park, the tannin-stained water concealing countless fish, frogs and the occasional crocodile…

Maya Angelou’s poem may have been written as a metaphor about her freedom from prejudice and abandonment during childhood. But nothing could be further than the truth right here in Southeast Asia, where literally, songbirds are caught, caged and illegally traded, leading to the demise of many endangered species and the devastation of our natural heritage. Familiar scenes that may float to mind include bird markets from Hong Kong to Jakarta that are popular with locals and tourists, or songbird competitions in Singapore that are a cultural past time for many senior citizens. But the truth is closer to home. The Javan green magpie, the black-winged myna and the Bali myna – currently categorised as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List – were…

 The Arabian ostrich, which represented wealth and elegance, has long had a significant place in the culture of the Middle East. Unfortunately, it was the pleasures of ostrich hunting – a popular past time among the rich and the noble and an indication of their prosperity – that led to the decline and extinction of the species. “When she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.” (JOB 39:18) It was the pleasures of ostrich hunting that led to the decline and extinction of the species Known as the Struthio camelus syriacus, its scientific name is derived from the Greek words for “camel sparrow”, referring to its long neck. The species is most related to the North African Ostrich or the Red-Necked Ostrich, distinguished only by the…

Spoken by about 90 million people, Vietnamese, also known as Tieng Viet, is the official language of Vietnam since the country gained independence from France in 1945. It is classified as part of the Viet-Muong subfamily, of the Vietic group of the Mon-Khmer family, part of the Austro-Asiatic family of languages. For many centuries, Chinese was the primary influence on the Vietnamese language as historically, Vietnam was a province of China from the 2nd to 10th century BC. During this time, Vietnamese was written with a Chinese-like script known as Ch› Nom by Buddhist scholars and priests. This was a logographic writing system where each symbol represents a concept rather than a sound, much like Egyptian hieroglyphs. But it wasn’t until the mid-17th century when Roman Catholic missionaries introduced a…

1 LACE Lace-making was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 16th century by the Portuguese, and Galle is perhaps the most famous centre for it. You’ll find samples of intricate handmade lace as you wander around the Galle Fort area, as well as plenty of lace shops along Pedlar Street and along the coast in Dickwella. 2 CEYLON TEA Ceylon tea, the common name for tea grown in Sri Lanka, which was known as Ceylon prior to independence, is well-known for its tea plantations. Popular names like Dilmah, Mlesna, Lipton, Tea Tang and Zesta are famous export brands and can be found in any supermarket, with a range of black, white or green tea. 3 DUTCH ANTIQUES A whole host of stores near the Galle Fort along Rampart Steet, Church…